Dark of the Moon
by lady.grae
Summary: What if there were more than two races? What if a member of the third appeared on campus? General Disclaimer - applies to all chapters - I don't own VK. Duh. Rating changed to M for citrus/violence in later chapters.
1. Prologue The Girl in the Tree

Chapter One

Prologue

The Girl in the Tree

-oOo-

Kain looked up at the tree uncomfortably, watching Aido climb toward the sleeping girl. "We're going to get in trouble again," he called softly, "don't you remember how pissed Kaname-sama was the last time you went after a stray?"

"Spoilsport!" was the cocky reply. "Don't you want to know what she's doing up here?"

"Sleeping, moron. Even you should be able to tell that." Kain looked back towards the Academy building, through the dark, moonless night, watching to see if any of the other Night Class students or – god forbid, the disciplinary committee! – were heading this way. Thankfully, Yuki and Kiryu didn't seem to be anywhere near. "That would be the perfect cap to this little adventure," he muttered.

"What?" Aido called down, hanging his head around a particularly leafy branch.

"I said you should get your ass back down here before someone shows up!"

"Oh, c'mon, Akatsuki! No one even knows we're out here! What, do you think Kaname-sama is going to appear out of nowhere right behind you?" he added, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"No, just me!" was the cheerful reply.

Kain whipped around to find Ichijo standing barely six feet away, hands on his hips.

"Sooo," he drew out the word, "which one of you wants to tell me what's going on over here?"

Kain put his hand over his eyes and groaned. "There's a Day Class girl sleeping up in the tree."

"Ahh. And Aido's up there why?"

"Ummm . . ."

"I see." Kain winced at the deadpan reply. "Aido," Ichijo continued, "you and Kain can get your asses back to class now."

"But what about her?" Aido pouted, pointing at the girl.

"You let me worry about her. Move it."

"All right, all right," Aido muttered as he dropped to the ground. He was still protesting as Kain dragged him away.

"Now who are you?" Ichijo said to himself, looking up through the branches at the still-sleeping girl in the black uniform of the Day Class, who hadn't even twitched at the commotion around her. "Oh, and Kain?" he called over his shoulder. Kain paused and looked back at the vice-president of the Night Class. "If you see Kaname, ask him to come out here, will you?"

"Hai," was the dispirited reply.

-oOo-

"I see Ichijo found you." The words came out of the darkness as Kain and Aido approached the door of the classroom hall that they had snuck out of earlier. Kain winced. _I should have known he'd be waiting_. "What were you two up to this time?"

"Umm … nothing?" Aido tried.

"Mmm. An interesting 'nothing' that leaves twigs in your hair."

Aido's hands flew up to his head.

Kain tightened his grasp on Aido's arm. "Well," he began brightly. "We'll be heading back to class now." He pointed in the general direction of the tree, adding, "Ichijo wants to talk to you."

They made it two steps closer to the door before they heard his reply. "Let's not keep him waiting then, shall we?"

"But Ichijo told us to go back to class," Aido chimed in, hoping desperately to _not_ be there when President Kuran discovered he'd been after a human girl again.

"And now I'm telling you to come with me," was the calm reply. His dark brown eyes gazed quietly at the two troublemakers as he waited for the only acceptable response.

"Hai, Kaname-sama."

-oOo-

Kaname's eyes narrowed as he looked up and caught a whiff of the girl's scent. He swiftly scaled the tree, perching next to her, being careful not to touch her. Something in the back of his mind said that doing so would be dangerous. But dangerous for whom? He searched his memory for something that would explain the odd scent. She was clearly not a vampire – he would have known, and besides, she wouldn't be in the Day Class if she was – but she didn't smell quite 'human' either.

He'd first noticed the scent two days ago, traces of it in the classrooms, as if left by someone in passing, but it was much stronger here. The girl was definitely the source. His skin, pale by nature, grayed a little as the answer came to him.

"Did either of you touch her?" he called out suddenly.

Startled by the question, Kain replied, "No. I was down here the whole – "

Kaname cut him off. "Aido, did you touch her?"

"What?" Aido was confused and a little defensive. "What does it matter? I only wanted to –"

"Did you _touch_ her?" Kaname snarled.

"No! No! Ichijo got here … I wasn't going to … I mean … no," he ended weakly, "I didn't touch her."

"Good. Now go back to class." Kaname returned his attention to the strange girl.

"But …" Kain threw his hand over Aido's mouth as Ichijo glared at them.

"Go. Back. To. Class." Recognizing the deadly venom under the growl, Kain and Aido fled back to the hall. "You too, Ichijo," Kaname continued, forcing control over his voice.

Ichijo calmly looked up at him. "You're going to need help getting her back to her dorm."

"I'm not taking her back to the Sun dorm." Kaname gently lifted the girl from the branch, being especially careful not to touch her skin.

"You're not?" was the surprised reply.

"I'm taking her to the headmaster's residence. He needs to be informed, needs to be told what she is." He slowly made his way back down to the ground with the girl.

"But," Ichijo looked confused, "she's just a human, isn't she?"

"No." Kaname began walking away from the hall, towards the headmaster's residence.

"What is she then?" He hurried to catch up.

"Wolfen."

He stopped dead in his tracks, a look of horror on his face. "_Wolfen?_" he squeaked. "But they're extinct! There haven't been any seen for centuries!"

"True, there haven't been any here, but that doesn't change the fact that there's one right here now." He paused and looked back at his friend. "Are you coming with me or are you going to stand there catching flies?"

Ichijo shut his mouth with an audible _click_, and rushed after Kaname. _Wolfen? What the hell?_

-oOo-

"Are you sure we shouldn't knock?" Ichijo muttered as he opened the door.

"He's most likely asleep. It _is_ two a.m." Seeing that the main living area was empty he directed Ichijo down the hallway to the guest bedroom. He gently laid the girl down on the bed, removing her shoes and placing them on the floor. No sense in soiling the coverlet, after all. He sat beside her on the bed and ran his fingers over her hair, wondering at the odd color. It seemed to be all the shades of Autumn – reds, golds, browns, even a hint of black. He wondered what color her eyes were.

Stepping away, he checked to be sure that the window was locked, then shooed Ichijo out of the room and closed the door behind them. He stared pensively at the door for a moment, then visibly shook himself and returned to the living area, Ichijo following along behind.

Once there, he penned a brief note to Headmaster Cross:

There's a Day Class girl sleeping in your guest bedroom. Please don't disturb her for any reason. She won't wake until sunset. I'll be back before then. – Kaname Kuran

He set the paper and the pen on the table.

"Now what?" Ichijo murmured.

"Now we go back to class."


	2. Interlude I History

Chapter Two

Interlude I

History

-oOo-

Vampires.

-

Creatures of the dark and the night who live on human blood and feast on human suffering.

Only a myth. A legend. A fantasy in the pages of fiction.

Or so the humans believe.

-

Only a few know the truth.

Only the few scarred by an encounter that somehow managed to live.

Only the few born to the families of Hunters, raised from birth to destroy

those vampires who have, by their actions, become a threat to humans.

-

From the beginning of time, vampires have walked the world

in an uneasy co-existence with the all-unknowing humans.

From the beginning of time, there has been the war.

There are those who want to stop it;

there are those who want to perpetuate it;

and there are those who wish only to be left alone.

Vampires and humans. Two sides.

-

But there is a _third_ side.

-

We are the Wolfen.

Known by both, hated by both,

we have fought, and run, and sometimes hid.

We are strong and powerful in the light of the moon

but our strength fades with its waning

'til we become no more than humans.

Then less even than that.

On the darkest nights

when no moon lights the sky

we sleep.

Unable to wake even as we are killed.

Our enemies were many, and knew of our weaknesses,

and we were slaughtered.

Pack by pack our numbers fell.

Our males. Our females. Even our cubs.

None were spared.

-

Seven centuries ago our numbers reached their lowest point.

We neared, and feared, extinction.

We gathered what few we could find,

the ragged remnants of what had been a proud people,

and fled far to the West, hoping to find a place of safety.

But it was not to be.

-

Everywhere we went we were found out.

Forced to resume our flight or face death.

For fifty years we tried.

For fifty years we failed.

By then new leaders had arisen,

ones who knew only of the Time of Flight,

and nothing of when we had a home.

-

We swallowed our pride and we took a chance.

-

We had come to a territory ruled by the Seian,

a pureblood family who had chosen to stay out of the war.

We sent emissaries who fell to their knees and begged for protection.

We knew that in so doing we risked certain death.

But for the chance of a home we would do anything.

Iruka, the head of the vampire clan, agreed to our plea –

on two conditions:

That we bind ourselves in servitude to his clan,

a servitude enforced by spell

so that we may never betray our masters.

-

And that we never leave.

-

Our children

and our children's children,

every generation until the end of time

would be bound by the agreement we made.

-

In return

he promised that his clan would forever protect those so bound

from humans and vampires alike.

There were many among us

who could not bring themselves to accept those terms.

Who split from us and set out on their own.

For the rest,

we gave ourselves over to what came to be called the Bond.

-

Wanting only peace and a place to call home.

-

Iruka created the Spell of Binding,

and placed it upon each of us in turn.

-

He created it in such a way that each Wolfen was Bound to only one Master –

so that we would never feel a conflict in loyalties.

-

He created it in such a way that the Binding could be Shifted –

so that we could be given to a new Master;

so that we would still be Bound, even after the death of our own.

-

He created it in such a way that we would feel pain if we disobeyed our Master's orders.

-

And to all of this we submitted, accepting it as the price for having a home.

-

He knew what we had to give

the abilities that set us apart from humans.

Vampires need blood to survive.

When bitten, a human remains a human –

but only when the vampire has human blood somewhere in his lineage.

For those few clans whose lines have remained pure

free of human influence

a human bitten becomes a vampire.

Many clans took deliberate advantage of this

creating armies to use in the war.

Many simply didn't care.

But some clans

among them the Seian

wished to avoid creating vampires such as those.

For eventually they all dropped into madness

and had to be destroyed.

-

This is why Iruka was willing to take us in.

When a Wolfen is bitten, he remains a Wolfen –

regardless of the lineage of the vampire.

-

It was one of our greatest strengths.

We could never be Turned.

-

Over the centuries, the Binding became a part of us,

bred into our genes to the point where the original spell need no longer be cast.

The first touch began it, and the first bite sealed it.

With merely a touch and a bite, a cub became Bound to his Master.

-

In six hundred and fifty years, the Binding has never been tested;

the agreement sealed by our ancestors has never been broken.

-

Until now.

-

I am Reiya.

Born to Haruhi, who is Bound to Keiko of the clan Hanabi,

and fathered by the neverBound Michiru, descendant of Those-Who-Were-Not-Bound,

I was given into the hands of my father at birth.

My father gave me to his father to raise, in hiding from the vampire clans.

I know not what punishment my mother may have received for smuggling me away.

-

When I came of an age for schooling,

Grandfather Kurogane sent me here, to Cross Academy.

Ignorant of the existence of the Night Class.

Ignorant of what it was.

As was I

until

on my fourth day

I met Kaname Kuran.


	3. Introductions What is This Place?

Chapter Three

Introductions

What is This Place?

-oOo-

I wake as the sun falls below the horizon. I hold myself still as I try to make sense of where I am. I can't hear my roommate Kaoru – or any of the other girls that should be in the nearby rooms, for that matter.

Opening my amber eyes, I realize that I'm in a room I don't recognize at all. _What in the hells? Where am I and how did I get here?_ I rub my eyes and shake my head, hoping to clear the haze from my mind. _And why do my fingers feel … sticky?_ I stare at the sap on my fingers and remember. A tree. I fell asleep in a gods-be-damned _tree_! _It's been _how_ long since the last time I lost track of the moon phase? Grandfather would skin me if he knew I'd gotten so careless!_

I sit up on the bed and look about the room, hoping to find some indication of where I am. Walking to the window, I look out and see part of the wall surrounding the academy buildings on one side, and the corner of the Sun dorm on the other.

_The headmaster's residence? How did I get here? _I draw a breath and steel myself to discover the how and the why. I turn to the door. Opening it, I come to a dead stop, looking at the black-haired boy (_Boy? Isn't he too old to be in school?) _in a white Night Class uniform who is casually leaning against the opposite wall, hands in his pockets, watching me in turn.

Boy? Oh, no, it would be far too dangerous to think of him as simply a boy. _oh shit oh shit oh shit, _I gibber silently as I back away from the door, faster and faster until my back slams into the wall. _oh shit oh shit oh shit, he's a _vampire_!_ As I take a deep breath my eyes widen and my horror grows. Not an ordinary vampire, either. A _pureblood._ _What the hell is a pureblood doing_ here? _Is _this_ what the Night Class is?_

I stare with a look of terror on my face as he calmly steps forward to stand in the doorway, blocking my way out. I glance at the window, measuring the distance, wondering if I could make it out that way before he catches me.

"The window is locked," he says, as he slowly takes another step closer to me. He's _inside_ the room now, and I don't dare to take my eyes off of him to look for another way out. "I can catch you faster than you can get it open.

"So," a third deliberate step, bringing him closer. "It would appear that you know what I am." I give a jerky nod. "And I," he steps forward again, "know what you are."

"Stay away from me!" I blurt out, the panic rising in my mind. I have no weapons, and even the weakest of humans could easily overpower me now. Even at the Full of the moon I would never be a match for a pureblood – their powers are that much greater than those of other vampires.

He stops and folds his arms casually across his chest, tilting his head to the side. "What I can't figure out is how you came to be _here_, of all places," he muses. "What was your pack thinking, sending someone as young as you out on your own?"

"I'm not _that_ young," I counter defensively. "I'm sixteen! And this school was supposed to be … supposed to be …" I realize that I'm breathing far too fast, but I can't seem to slow down as the panic starts to take over.

"A human school?" He finishes my sentence. "It is. At least as far as the humans know. Only Headmaster Cross and the disciplinary committee know what the Night Class is."

"_All_ of it?" I squeak, as I press myself closer to the wall, wishing I could pass right through it.

"Come with me," he says, extending his hand towards me. I shove my hands behind my back and shake my head frantically. He narrows his eyes. "If I wanted you harmed, little wolf, you wouldn't be standing there. _Come._"

I flinch in fear as I jerk forward, instinctively obeying the command. I keep my hands tightly behind my back. "Good." He drops his hand to his side and turns to walk through the door. He pauses in the doorway and glances at me over his shoulder. "And don't bother trying to escape. You won't get anywhere and it will only make things worse for you."

I follow fearfully in his wake as he leads me to the main living area of the house. "_Sit_," he commands, pointing at the couch. With no options left, and little hope for my fate, I obey.

-oOo-

I remember what Grandfather said.

The last words he said to me before he died.

-

"I'm sending you to Cross Academy in the east. It's a boarding school, so you'll be living on campus. Stick to the campus as much as you can and keep your head down. The Academy is a human school, in a human settled area, so there shouldn't be much of a vampire presence. As long as you're careful, you should be able to pass as human.

"Remember that only a pureblood will be able to scent what you are. Others won't know unless you give yourself away. There aren't many purebloods, and I can't think why any should be anywhere near where you'll be, but stay close, and don't go wandering.

"Remember to never let them touch you.

"Live your life safe, little cub, live free of the Binding."

-

They were the last words he said to me.

I mourned when he died.

Not anymore.

I'm glad that he won't be around to see my fate.

-oOo-

I huddle on the couch, afraid to look up at him, waiting for the axe to fall. I wonder if he will return me to my mother's Master, or Bind me himself. I wonder which would be worse. How could this have happened? How could there be a whole _school_ of vampires in the middle of human lands? A whole school that shares the _same grounds_ as a human school? How is that even _possible_?

"Because Kaname is a pureblood. He can keep the others in check." The headmaster's voice is quiet. I look up at him, startled at his sudden appearance, and realize that I had spoken the questions aloud. He stands behind the overstuffed chair opposite the couch, wrapped in his ever-present coat. The vampire, _Kaname?, _leans against the table to my right. I watch in confusion as Headmaster Cross pulls a note from his pocket and waves it at the room in general. "I suppose by, 'do not disturb her,' you mean 'don't wipe her memory yet'? Will you kindly explain this to me, Kaname? You know the rule. 'All Day Class students that discover the secret of the Night Class are to have their memories erased.'"

I watch as Kaname shakes his head. "Unfortunately, that won't work in this case. She's not –" he stops as the door bangs open and a Day Class boy stalks in. I recognize the red-on-white armband of the disciplinary committee.

"Do you know where Yuki is?" he demands, glaring at the headmaster.

"Oh, dear," he says, wringing his hands, "what's happened now, Zero?"

"Aren't you supposed to be in supplementary lessons right now?" Kaname interjects lightly. He sounds amused. Zero glares back at him, but doesn't bother to reply.

"I don't know where she is," the headmaster continues, "did you check her dorm?" Anger seems to radiate off of Zero.

I pull back as I catch his scent. My eyes widen, "Why is –"

"_Be silent_," Kaname hisses. I gulp. Zero gives us a strange look, but continues his conversation with the headmaster. I can't hear what they're saying over the sudden pounding in my head. _Why is a _vampire_ wearing a _DayClass_ uniform?_ When he storms back outside, slamming the door behind him, Kaname turns back to me. "You _will not_ reveal what he is. The others do not know, and they do not _need_ to know. Do you understand me?" I cringe and nod.

The headmaster gives Kaname a considering look, then turns it on me. He walks around the chair and plops himself down into it so that his eyes are level with mine. "Now," returning his gaze to Kaname, "explain."

"This is …" he looks at me. "Reiya," I whisper, once again looking only at the floor.

"This is Reiya. Aido and Kain found her sleeping in a tree near the classroom hall last night."

Headmaster Cross blinks. "A tree?" He shakes his head. "Why didn't you just chivy her back to her dorm?"

"Because she doesn't belong in the Sun dorm. She shouldn't be in the Day Class."

"She's a vampire? You're a vampire?" He turns to me, "But then why did you apply to the Day Class? You should have known about the Night Class." He pauses, "And the sun …"

I don't look up at him as I shake my head. Kaname says, "She's not a vampire – but she's not human either. She's Wolfen."

"Now, Kaname, you know that can't be true." Reiya could hear the disbelief in his voice. "There aren't any Wolfen left."

"Do you think I can't tell the difference between a human and a vampire?" Kaname asks softly.

"Of course not!" He lifts his hands from his lap, as if to ward him off.

"Then trust me when I say that she isn't either." Kaname continues, barely waiting for the response.

The headmaster blinks again and looks at me. He walks around the coffee table and crouches in front of me. Lifting my chin with his fingers, so that I have no choice but to look at him, he asks, "Is this true? You're Wolfen?" I can't bring myself to speak, only nod. He stands and turns to Kaname. "Why do you want her in the Night Class then?" He waves his hand at me. "She's clearly terrified of you, how do you think she'll react to being among the rest of the lot?"

"She'll get over it." I cringe at his tone. "She can't be allowed to stay in the Sun dorm, and I won't permit her to leave the campus. I want her in the Moon dorm."

"But why?"

"Where are you from?" The sudden question aimed in my direction surprises me. "West," I whisper.

"Are you Bound?" The headmaster steps to the side as Kaname approaches me. I don't answer, I _can't _answer. I keep my face down to hide my expression. _How does he know about that? _my mind shrieks. _ Didn't I come far enough east to escape?_ "Answer me." I see his fingers reaching for my chin and fling myself to the side, away from his grasp. His eyes harden. "Answer the question."

"N-n-no," I stammer as I hit the floor. I shake my head wildly as I stare up at him, frozen again. "N-no. I'm not B-bound."

He lets his hand fall back to his side and looks at the headmaster. "That's why." He leans again on the edge of the table, watching me as I huddle on the floor, arms wrapped around myself, rocking back and forth, tears running down my face. I don't want to look at him, but I don't dare take my eyes off of him either. He_ knows._

Cross stares at me in shock. He reaches down as if to comfort me, but I pull away from his touch, falling against the couch. "I don't understand," he says, turning back to Kaname.

"Until she is Bound, she's easy prey for any vampire who touches her." He lifts his fingers briefly. I can't stop myself from flinching again. "If she's left in the Day Class, I can't prevent Zero Kiryu from coming into contact with her. He can't tell what she is from a distance, but if he touches her he'll know she isn't human."

"How can you expect her to function in the Night Class if she's like that?" There's anger in Cross' voice now, "You're torturing her!"

"The Night Class won't be a problem." He looks directly at me, with no expression on his face at all. "She'll be Bound by then."

"Nooooo!" I cry out in complete panic. "Nonononononono …" I throw myself to my feet and bolt for the door. He catches me before I even touch the knob. His grip is painful as I struggle to get away. He has me from behind, his hands on my arms just above my elbows. He's taller than I am, and lifts me just enough that I'm off-balance, just enough that I can't get any leverage to free myself with. He tightens his grip further, until I stop struggling and my voice falls quiet. Then he leans down and whispers in my ear. "What did I tell you about trying to escape?" I can only whimper in response and hang my head in shame. No words will come.

He gently leads me back to the couch. I collapse and roll myself into a ball in the corner. I don't look at him now. I _can't_ look. I don't want to see the anger on his face. I don't know what I would do if there _wasn't_ anger in his eyes.

-oOo-

Cross glared at Kaname. He'd found the entire episode extremely disturbing – he hadn't thought that _Kaname_, of all people, would torment someone like this. The poor girl was a wreck, shuddering on the couch like a beaten puppy.

Kaname's expression had returned to its usual calm, although his eyes seemed troubled. He laid his hand gently on Reiya's back. "Please don't interfere with this, Headmaster Cross," he said softly. "You'll only make it harder for her." He smoothed her hair, still careful to avoid contact with her skin. "_Stay_," he murmured, for her ears only, then rose and headed for the door.

"Now what?" Cross snapped.

Kaname stopped, his hand on the doorframe. "I'm going to class. She can't handle anything more right now. I'll come back tomorrow."

"And do what? How much more do you think she can take?" His arm shook as he pointed it at her. "Look at her! How long do you plan to keep this up?"

He didn't look back. He said only, "As long as it takes," and slipped through the door, closing it softly behind him.

"As long as it _takes?_" Cross asked the door. "As long as it takes to do what? Kill her?" He looked at Reiya, distressed when he saw that the awful shuddering hadn't subsided at all.

"_Now_ what?" he asked the empty room. Not knowing what else to do, he retrieved the blanket and pillow from the spare bedroom. Noticing her shoes next to the bed, he brought those out, too. He gently tucked the blanket around her, and set the pillow on the other side of the couch. The shoes he set by the door. Having run out of things he could do for her, he made himself a cup of tea, and sat at the table with his head in his hands.


	4. Interlude II Dreams

Chapter Four

Interlude II

Dreams

-oOo-

I float in a soft grayness.

I feel nothing.

There is nothing to fear.

I wonder why that concerns me, and decide that it shouldn't.

It's quiet here.

Safe.

The grayness rocks me, lulling me into sleep.

I dream.

I dream that someone lays his hand on my back, gently soothing me, then pulls away.

I dream of a door closing.

I dream that someone lays a blanket across me, carefully tucking it in around me.

I dream.

And then I fall into the nothingness, and there are no more dreams.


	5. The Bond I Choices

Chapter Five

The Bond I

Choices

-oOo-

Ichijo glanced over his shoulder again, watching Kaname pensively. He hadn't spoken a single word since he walked into the classroom. He was just staring at nothing. Ichijo was worried, but he wasn't sure if he should interrupt the silence. He was certain that Kaname hadn't heard a word of the current class discussion.

And Ruka was starting to notice. _That's the last thing we need,_ he decided. He checked again, still not sure if he was ready to disturb Kaname. Startled to see that Kaname was looking right at him, he noticed his eyes flick towards the door in a silent command. He nodded. Barely a twitch of his head, but enough to acknowledge the order without drawing any attention to himself.

As Kaname walked out of the room he let his fingers graze Shiki's shoulder. Shiki tilted his head to the side, but didn't pause in his conversation with Kirin. That gave Ichijo some small sense of relief. Whatever happened now, at least it wouldn't fall on him alone.

-oOo-

Ichijo could hear Kaname and Shiki talking quietly as he approached the empty classroom. Even so, he was surprised that Kaname barely waited for him to close the door before continuing. "The girl must be Bound." Shiki looked confused. Ichijo wasn't surprised at that. He felt confused, too, and was pretty sure that he knew more about what was going on than Shiki did.

"What?"

Ichijo laid his hand on Shiki's arm. "Is that why you were so distracted in class?" he asked Kaname. "Deciding if she needed to be Bound?"

"No. There's no question in that matter. She _must_ be Bound. What I was considering was who."

Shiki raised his hand. "Umm … would someone like to tell _me_ what's going on?"

Kaname looked at Ichijo.

Ichijo shrugged. "There's a Wolfen girl in the Day Class."

"Yeah, I got that part. It's the rest I don't get. What does 'Bound' mean, and why do we have to do it to her?"

Ichijo looked back to Kaname, not knowing the answer to that one. Shiki followed his gaze.

"It's a spell that ties her to one specific vampire. It provides her with some measure of protection, and also provides a means of controlling her."

"Okaaay. The protection kinda makes sense, but how come we need to control her? And why worry about either when she's in the _Day_ Class?"

Ichijo looked at the floor. He had the same questions himself.

Kaname looked out the window, towards the residence. "Wolfen are dangerous in their own way, and once it becomes known what she is …" his voice trailed off into silence.

Shiki looked at Ichijo, then back. "But why do we care?"

Kaname turned back and paused. He looked at the two of them. "Meet me at the headmaster's residence at dawn." With that, he left.

"But why do we care?" Shiki asked again. Ichijo looked away from his friend. He didn't want to admit that he didn't know, either.

-oOo-

I stand at the window, watching the dawn. I wrap my arms around myself tightly, trying to stop the shivering. I pull a blanket around myself, but nothing seems to ward off the chill. I vaguely recall Headmaster Cross coaxing me back here last night, to the bed I had slept in before. There is no fog in my mind today, only fear and a sick resignation.

I cannot run now. Well do I know that. He need not even bother coming after me himself – he has a whole school of underlings to do that for him. I wipe the tears from my face as the light grows. I don't know when he will come, and the uncertainty eats at my gut. The knock on the door comes earlier than I expect – although part of me is glad he didn't make me wait until nightfall.

I know that it is him. The one time that the headmaster came, to try to convince me to eat, his knock was much softer, hesitant. I drop the blanket to the floor and stand in the center of the room, facing the door. Grandfather had always said that we were a proud people. I will face my fate with all the pride I can summon.

He doesn't wait for a response from me. He opens the door and walks in, flanked by two others. He stops out of arm's reach, and the other two continue forward. They move to my sides and circle around behind me. I want to tell him that it isn't necessary, that I'm not going to run. I don't. I hold myself still, and don't look away from his face. It seems strange to me that the shivers have stopped now.

He closes the door and flips the lock. As he turns back to me I close my eyes, dip my head, and slowly lower myself to my knees, keeping my back straight. I will submit, but I will not cower. I raise my hands to the level of my head, palms turned up, sides together, and tilt them towards him to expose my wrists. I tip my head to the side, and slightly back, baring my throat.

Slowly. Deliberately. No sharp movements. Nothing fast. Nothing that will trigger a predator's attack. Complete submission.

"What is she doing?" asks the one on my right. He sounds uneasy. No. I can't let that distract me. I hold myself still.

"This is how it's done. This is how they signal total surrender." His voice is soft, tinged with a hint of sadness. I wonder why. No, I repeat. No distractions. I wait in the dark for him to come the rest of the way. I wait for him to finish this.

My calm is beginning to crack. Please, I beg him silently, please finish this before I fall apart. Let me at least keep my pride. He speaks. Perhaps he heard me. "Ichijo," he says. The one on my left steps around to stand in front of me. I am confused, but I dare not show it. What are they doing? What is _he_ doing?

"Take her hands." I am surprised. He is giving me to another? I had thought he would take me for himself. I can feel a faint tremor beginning in my fingers. My control is slipping fast, as my confusion allows the fear to once again emerge. The one that he called Ichijo gently wraps my hands in his. The Binding runs through me like an electric shock.

"God!" he blurts out. "Her hands are _freezing!"_ His grip tightens as he begins to chafe my fingers. The chill is spreading again. It's becoming harder and harder to hold the proper position. Please, I beg him. _Please!_

Once again, Kaname seems to understand my cry. "Shiki," he murmurs.

"Yeah …" I hear from the other. "Yeah." He moves from behind me to the door. Kaname unlocks it and the two of them leave, closing the door behind them.

"_Now_ what?" Ichijo says plaintively.

_That_ completely destroys what was left of my composure. I drop from my knees to the floor and give him an incredulous stare. "You _don't know?"_ The fear changes instantly to hysterics, and I try desperately to keep control.

He lets my hands fall to my lap and looks away, scratching the back of his head. I can see the same unease on his face that had been in the one called Shiki's voice before. "No," he mutters. "He didn't tell me that part."

I blink. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and _force_ control over my emotions. When my ragged breathing evens out somewhat I look back up at him and offer my wrist. "Now you bite me." I am surprised. My voice almost sounds calm.

He meets my gaze and takes my hand, sliding his thumb along the inside of my wrist. He glances at my hand, then looks into my eyes. I can see that he is considering something, but what, I do not know. And then, just like that, he makes up his mind.

"No."

I blink. _No?_

"Not like this." He draws me to my feet and brushes my hair from my face. He quietly loosens my uniform's tie and removes it, tossing it in the direction of the bed. I stand there, still surprised as he opens my coat and slides it off my arms. The coat follows the tie, to land on the bed. Still silent, he undoes the first two buttons of my blouse, fully revealing my neck.

He cups my face in his hands and looks deep into my eyes, as if he's trying to see into my soul. I don't know what he finds there, but he whispers two words before he gently tilts my head to the side, slides my blouse to my shoulder, and sinks his fangs into my neck.

As I slide into the black oblivion that is the Binding I wonder why he said what he said, if perhaps I heard him wrong.

Two words.

_I'm sorry._


	6. The Bond II Changes

Chapter Six

The Bond II

Changes

-oOo-

Ruka and Seiren were waiting outside the Headmaster's residence when Kaname-sama and Shiki came out. Shiki was surprised that Kaname-sama walked right past the two without even the briefest glance in their direction. From the looks on their faces, so were they. He sighed. He'd probably end up taking the heat for this. Again.

Ruka was the first to speak up. "Kaname-sama what –"

He didn't pause or look back as he cut her off. "It's no concern of yours, Ruka." Shiki winced at the flat tone of his voice. Yup. He was _definitely_ going to catch hell. If not by Kaname-sama for explaining, then by the girls for _not_ explaining. He could tell. Seiren was already giving him a considering look.

Then they both whipped around and stared at the door as the scent of blood wafted across the air. _Aw, hell. Why now? Damnit, Ichijo, couldn't you at least have waited until I escaped?_ He chose to take the slim hope of an opportunity and bolted after Kaname-sama as soon as the girls took their eyes off of him.

Why, _oh_ why, did he agree to get involved with this? It was shaping up to be a true pain in the ass, even if he _wasn't_ the one that ended up Bonded to the damn girl. He sighed. He knew _exactly_ why he'd agreed to get involved in this. Because Kaname-sama ordered him to_. _Well, not really _ordered_ … but it amounted to the same thing. It's not like any of them would ever actually dare to _refuse_ him anything he wanted. He was the pureblood. He ruled them all.

Hell of a way to end his night, though, running across the campus, hoping to get back to his room before Ruka or Seiren managed to corner him.

Unfortunately, he _didn't_ manage to escape Yuki Cross of the disciplinary committee. He ran right into her. Literally. He came flying around the corner of the classroom hall, and bowled her right over. _Of course_, he went tumbling, too, landing on his back. _Damnit,_ he thought again, as he ran his fingers along the brand-new scrape on his cheek. _Now_ he was going to catch hell from _Rima_, too. They were supposed to have a photo shoot this morning. Vampires healed faster than humans, but not _that_ fast.

He laid his head back on the ground, stared at the swiftly brightening sky and sighed. He could hear Cross haranguing him for being out past curfew, but he didn't bother looking at her. Or really listening, either. He decided that he just didn't give a damn anymore. He kept watching the sky. The clouds were kinda pretty.

And then the lovely view was obscured by the upside-down face of a scowling Zero Kiryu – the other half of the disciplinary committee. He scowled back. "I don't want to see you. Go away."

"How nice for you," Kiryu growled at him. "I don't want to see you, either. Get back to your dorm."

"Or what, you'll shoot me?" – referring to Kiryu's Vampire-Hunter gun. The one that could only hurt vampires, not humans. _Huh, might not be all that bad._ It'd get him out of the annoyingly increasing level of people who were going to be pissed at him. _Maybe not, though,_ _it'd probably hurt too much._

Kiryu flashed him an evil grin. "No," he drew out the word. "I'll just tell Kuran that you knocked Yuki over and banged up her leg."

"_Zero_!" the aforementioned Yuki shrieked.

Aw, hell. Now that Kiryu mentioned it, he could smell the scent of Cross' blood over his own. He let out a big sigh. Damnit. Yeah, this was going to be one _hell_ of a day.

He wondered if he would manage to survive until classes started tonight. He wondered briefly if he wanted to. Then, with yet _another_ sigh, he dragged himself to his feet and mumbled, "Yeah, yeah, I'm going, I'm going," as he began to trudge in the direction of the Moon dorm. Sometimes he hated his friend Ichijo. _This is all _his_ damn fault._

-oOo-

"Will I live here now?" I ask.

"No," he replies quietly.

I stand at the window again, this time watching the sunset.

"Yuki gathered the last of your things from the Sun dorm today. I'll take you to the Moon dorm tonight, while the others are in class."

"Master …"

"Please don't call me that." His voice is soft as he stands behind me. "My name is Takuma."

"It would not be proper for me to call you by your given name, Ma …"

"Do I need to make it an order?" His voice has not changed, but I feel the tension along the Bond.

I shiver, fearing the pain that may come, if I push him on this.

"Please, if I act too familiar, what will be the reaction of the others?" My voice trembles.

He steps closer and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Ichijo, then?" he asks.

"Ichijo-sama?" I reply, adding the suffix that acknowledges the difference in our social rank.

"That will do." He slides his hands down my arms and steps closer. We are touching now. I lean back into his embrace as he holds my arms around me. He rests his cheek on my head and I close my eyes, as the last hint of sunlight slips away.

-oOo-

Headmaster Cross lowers his hand and looks at the door. The voices have fallen silent now, and he sighs. Perhaps it would be best if he did not disturb them. He sets the box that Yuki brought to him on the floor. Laid atop her belongings is a neatly-folded Night Class uniform.

He feels responsible in some way for the poor child's suffering. _But what can I do?_ He regrets the troubles she will have, interacting with the Night Class, but Kaname is correct. She cannot remain in the Sun dorm.

She is weakened now, while the moon is dim, but when the moon changes … Yes, he acknowledges, when the moon changes, Takuma will need to keep her close.


	7. Interlude III Golden Eyes

Chapter Seven

Interlude III

Golden Eyes

-oOo-

The moon is changing, I can feel it. The gold tint in my eyes is growing day by day. The Quarter Mark has been passed, and the Full Moon will soon be upon me. I am slowly growing accustomed to living among these vampires, the Night Class. I am slowly becoming accustomed to being Bound to the one called Takuma Ichijo-sama. _It helps, I suppose,_ I muse, as I stare at myself in the mirror, _that he hasn't used it against me._ Yet.

Ah, well. Enough delaying. I pull my white uniform coat over my black blouse and add in the red ribbon-tie. Looking again at my eyes, my traitorous eyes, I wince. The amber is almost gone now, only one more day …

I laugh harshly. _And Grandfather thought I could pass for _human_? What _human_ has eyes that change with the moon? Not even _he_ had those._

I shake my head. Thoughts like these won't get me to class on time. I slip on my boots and smooth my skirt, then collect my notebook and leave my room. I'm one of the few (three, actually) who has no roommate. I won't complain. There are many here who wish I would just disappear. They won't act on it – in public, at least – but only because I have the protection of Ichijo-sama, the vice-president of the class, and, through him, the tacit acceptance of Kuran-sama, the president. Of course, the face that is shown in public is not necessarily the face that is shown in private – and so I room alone, on Kuran-sama's orders.

I lock my room behind me and steel myself to once again face the gantlet that the Night Class runs every evening on the way from the gate of the Moon dorm to the classroom hall.

Vampires – the young ones in particular – are by their very nature extremely beautiful. Human girls – the young ones in particular – are by their very nature attracted to gorgeous boys.

This is why the Day Class girls violate their curfew every night – to watch the Night Class as they go by, hoping for a scrap of attention. _Of course, none of _them_ know what the Night Class is,_ I add sardonically. _If they did, would they still be here, screaming like little idiots?_

This is why the disciplinary committee exists. To keep the classes separated. To keep the Night Class' secret. For the ten nights I've been in the Night Class, I've done everything I can to keep as many others between myself and the Day Class as possible. Cowardly, perhaps, but I'd really rather not subject myself to their jealousy, their envy. Yuki has it bad enough – being in the Day Class, but allowed to speak to and interact with the Night Class whenever she wishes. For me? Who began in the Day Class, then _transferred_ to the Night Class? When no other transfer requests are _ever_ accepted? Who now has the 'privilege' of _living_ in the Moon dorm?

Ah, if only they knew what I knew … But I am forbidden to speak of it – and so I won't.

I am in the classroom now, the gantlet is run. I take a seat in the back of the room, where I can try to hide from the displeasure of the others, students and teachers alike. The displeasure they will always show me when Kuran-sama is not in the room.

I slouch at the desk, my head on my arms.

_And the moon is changing …_

-oOo-

"Watch her, Ichijo."

"Kaname?"

"The moon is changing," he murmured, as they entered the classroom.


	8. The Transfer I Pain and Healing

Chapter Eight

The Transfer I

Pain and Healing

-oOo-

"Stop it! You're killing her!" He could faintly hear Kain's voice through the red haze that swamped his mind. His rage pulsed along the Bond. She had attacked Kaname. His friend. His _lord._ Death would be too kind for her! He heard her cries, closer to the yelp of an animal than the cry of a human. Fitting, he thought, fitting for this feral creature, this _thing,_ that she die like the animal she is!

--CRACK!!--

Ichijo shook his head, raising his hand to his face, looking up at Kaname, who was looking back at him with suppressed rage behind his red-brown eyes. _"Are you quite done?"_ he hissed. Ichijo looked around himself, surprised at the crowd of students and teachers in the hall, then followed their gaze down to where Reiya lay on the floor.

Her cries slowly subsided to whimpers as Kain cradled her head in his lap, and Aido glared back up at him. What had happened to her? He tried to step towards her, but Kaname had an iron grip on his arm _(when had he done that?)_ and wouldn't let go. Rima was glaring at him, and Kaname's gaze hadn't softened either. "Reiya," he whispered. "Why is she …?" He looked up at the crowd, confused, and asked, "what happened to Reiya?"

Seiren and Ruka looked torn between anger at him and hatred for her, but Shiki looked at him in disgust and turned away. _This doesn't make sense_, he thought. Shiki was his _friend._ Why? What had he done?

And Kaname still hadn't loosed his grip, as if _he_ was the danger. _Why?_

His attention was drawn back to Ruka as she began to speak. "She was acting strangely during class, and then walked out. Kirin and Shiki went to find her, and found her pacing the halls.

"When they tried to get her to come back to class she went berserk and attacked Kirin. We got there as Shiki was trying to hold her back, keep her off of Kirin.

"Kaname-sama told him to find you, then went after her himself. He had her mostly restrained until just before you showed up. Then she slipped out of his hold and turned on him. You came around the corner just as she went for his throat. Aido lunged for her when she bit his sleeve. Then she screamed and fell to the floor. None of us had touched her.

"And then she wouldn't _stop_ screaming." Ruka's voice, flat in the beginning, was starting to show emotion now. "Kaname-sama told you to stop what you were doing, but you ignored him, too.

"Every time she moved, she screamed. And then she stopped moving._ But you didn't stop._"

By this time Ruka's voice was filled with the same disgust that had been on Shiki's face.

"Reiya … " he whispered, staring at the pathetic form lying on the ground, still whimpering. He remembered Shiki running up to him in the library, saying frantically that something was wrong with Reiya. He remembered following him. But what could have happened that would result in _this?_ _Oh, god. _ What had he done?

"Enough," Kaname said, his voice sounding very nearly normal. Ruka fell silent. None of them moved. "Aido. Kain." The two looked up. "Take her to the dormitory infirmary." Kain gathered her up gently in his arms. Ichijo moved, as if to go with them, but Kaname tightened his grip. To the rest he said simply, "Class is dismissed for tonight. Return to the dorm." The teachers didn't argue.

As they all filed away, he spoke to Ichijo. "Look at what you've done." The anger was no longer suppressed, no longer held back. Ichijo stared at the floor in horror, at the bloodstain in the spot where Reiya's still form had been. He realized that he couldn't feel her through the Bond. There was only a black _nothingness_ where her mind had been.

"You will return to your room. You will stay there until I send for you, and you will have _no contact_ with her without my permission." Unspoken, yet clearly there, was the phrase _"and that you shall not have."_

He could only stare at the floor. What had he done?

-oOo-

Ruka walked into the infirmary just in time to see Kain trying to remove Reiya's bloodied uniform without jostling her. She was still whimpering. Ruka was shocked that she was still conscious.

Shaking her head in disgust at Kain's ineffectual movements, she walked up to the bed and reached past him, baring the girl's back with one swift _rip_ of her coat. Aido gagged at what was revealed. She had been _whipped_, so badly that her blouse and her skin hung from her back in intermingled strips.

Ruka balled her hands up in fists, her sharp nails digging into her palms. Yes, the girl _had_ attacked her beloved Kaname-sama, and yes, she would have enjoyed killing her for it, but not like _this_. She turned away, searching for bandages and soft cloths to clean the wounds.

Kain also clenched his hands into fists, nails piercing his flesh, but not for the same reason. He forced himself to take a step back, forced down the sudden desire and _hunger_ he felt. Even if drinking blood wasn't strictly forbidden on campus (_not that we always follow that rule within the walls of our own dorm_, his traitorous mind whispered), he would _not_ steal from someone unwilling and unknowing. Besides, she needed every drop for herself right now.

It wasn't until the three of them had gotten her completely cleaned up – her wounds ran from her neck down to her knees – that Kain realized that Kaname-sama was leaning on the doorframe, and probably had been for some time. The vicious anger that had surrounded him earlier seemed to have dissipated, but Kain wasn't too sure. Kaname-sama was very good at showing them exactly what he wanted them to see, and nothing more.

"Put her in front of the east windows," he said, not moving from his position by the door. "Open them as wide as they'll go. When the sun sets she'll need the moonlight." That was when Kain realized that the room was brightened by sunlight streaming around the curtains. How long had they been in here?

"But the wind will tangle the bandages," Ruka said.

He shook his head. "She needs the moon more than she needs the bandages. You'll see."

"She's already started to heal," Aido whispered. "Not much, but some," he continued. "But if we leave off the bandages, the blood loss …" His voice trailed off into uncertainty. It was the first time Kain had ever seen his cousin thrown so far off his stride.

Kaname-sama shook his head again. "The bleeding should stop shortly. She needs the moon."

Kain spoke up then, shocked at how weak his own voice sounded. "Why is she still awake? With wounds like these, anyone else …" His voice firmed up again as he looked back down at her. "Why is she still awake?"

"She can't fall asleep," he heard. "She won't sleep until sunrise tomorrow." As he looked at Kaname-sama in shock he saw Ruka and Aido's heads turn as well. "It's their greatest strength … and their greatest weakness. When the moon is full, they wake – for two nights and a day, and when the moon is dark … "

"Two days and a night of sleep." Kain whispered, remembering the night he and Aido had found her – sleeping in a tree and unable to wake.

"Yes."

Kain watched as Kaname-sama turned to leave. He paused with his hand on the frame and half turned back – not looking at any of them in particular. "I want one of you three with her at all times until sunrise. No one else is to enter." As he left, Kain wondered if he was the only one who saw the exhaustion under the façade of normality.

-oOo-

Kain sat by the bed in the infirmary, waiting for the sun to set – and the moon to rise. They had kept watch over her throughout the day, in turn, as Kaname-sama had commanded. Ruka and Aido were gone now, getting some sleep before tonight's classes. He had opened the windows as wide as they would go, and thrown back the curtains. When the moon rose, there would be nothing blocking its light.

A few hours before, when he had returned to relieve Aido, they had moved her to a bed facing the east windows. As Kaname-sama had said would happen, her wounds had indeed healed enough by then that they no longer bled. He was a little surprised at that. He hadn't thought that her healing abilities would be so strong, nearly on par with theirs. Except for Kaname-sama, of course. The abilities of the purebloods were far above those of the rest of them.

They had laid her face-down on the bed, not wanting to put any more pressure on her wounds than was absolutely necessary. The infirmary was on the third floor, facing away from the four-story classroom hall, so none of the other buildings were obscuring the horizon. His attention was divided between watching for the first hint of the moon, and doing what he could to ease her discomfort.

He held her hand in his own and gently stroked it, hoping that she received some bit of comfort from the gesture. Her eyes were glazed over, and her whimpers had subsided to a high, faint whine. It was tearing him up inside, that she was lying there, in _so much_ pain – and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

The first hint of the moon had just peeked over the horizon when he heard the door behind him quietly open and close. He didn't look back. He didn't need to – he knew who it would be. "How could this happen," he asked softly. "Why?"

Kaname-sama's reply was just as soft. "She's very young. It's easy for their emotions to overpower their reason when the moon is full, and at her age she could have difficulty remaining in control at the best of times. Here, surrounded by enemies and unable to run …" He shook his head. "It does not surprise me that she felt threatened enough to attack."

"But _this_ …" He was surprised at the strength of the emotions he felt. "How could he do _this?_"

"She is Bound to him by an ancient spell. It was a way of taming them. Controlling them. It allows him to …" He paused, as if searching for the right word, "Discipline her for disobedience."

"_Discipline?_" Kain whispered. "What will happen the next time? What will he do to her the _next_ time she does something he doesn't like?"

"There will not be a next time."

"How can you be so sure?" Kain cried as he jumped to his feet and spun to face Kaname-sama. "You said yourself that she might not be able to control herself! How can you be so certain?"

"There will not be a next time." His voice did not change as he slowly paced towards Kain.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked again, his voice growing weak, pleading.

Kaname-sama cradled Kain's face in his hands and gently brushed away a tear with his thumb. "There will not be a next time," he repeated softly, "because the Bond can be transferred." He leaned in and brushed his lips lightly across Kain's forehead.

Kain's head flew back and his hands reflexively gripped at Kaname-sama's sleeves as the Bond descended on him in all of its force and fury. Her presence exploded into his mind and he _felt,_ all at once, everything that she was feeling. He gasped at her fear and her pain as he fell to the floor, held upright only by his grip on Kaname-sama's arms.

He felt himself lowered slowly to the ground, as Kaname-sama gently stroked his head and whispered soothing nothings until the seizure abated. "How could he do this," he whispered, still in shock, "if he felt it in return?"

Kaname-sama shook his head. "You learn to block it. It serves little purpose if a Master feels everything his slave does, especially if he is Bound to more than one.

"Come." Kain looked up to see a weary smile on his face.

_Why is he like this? Why is he showing so much emotion? It isn't _like_ him._

"If you can stand," he continued, "there is something you should see."

With Kaname-sama's support he was able to rise and turn to face the bed. He gasped when he saw was happening. What caught his attention first was the change in her. Where before there had been a naked girl lying on the bed, now her place was taken by a young _wolf_. He pulled away from Kaname-sama and fell to his knees, bracing himself against the bed. He laid his hand delicately on her head and brushed his fingers across her fur. The color was an exact match for her hair, he noticed.

Looking into her golden eyes he saw a clear intelligence there, shadowed by the pain she had been feeling all along. All of that, however, was overlaid by a new fear. He could feel it begin to crawl along the Bond. When he realized what she feared his expression hardened, but then he forced it to clear. She feared his rejection. He shook his head and whispered, "You're_ beautiful._" She was. He realized that he had become attracted to her. _When did that happen?_

He was drawn from his reverie by a faint _hiss._ Looking up he started – there was _smoke_ rising from her back! He felt Kaname-sama's hand on his shoulder as he tried to jump to his feet. "Look closer," he heard him murmur. He paused. No, he realized, not smoke. _Steam._

Everywhere the moon touched, everywhere she had been injured, steam was rising. Peering through the mist he saw in wonder that her wounds were healing much faster than he had ever imagined that they could.

"Under the moonlight their healing abilities are nearly a match for ours." Kain froze in shock as what Kaname-sama meant by that hit him. Not a match for a _normal_ vampire. A match for a _pureblood_ vampire. Kaname-sama let his hand fall from Kain's shoulder. "She'll be fully healed soon. Stay with her until the sun rises." Kain turned his attention back to Reiya as Kaname-sama left the room. Before the door closed, Kain heard him add softly, "I erred in giving her to Ichijo. She will be better served being with you." The door clicked shut before Kain fully registered the implications of that statement. Kaname-sama _never_ admitted fault. To do so was a weakness.

"No," he whispered to himself. "It is better this way. Better that I know what can happen first."


	9. The Transfer II Pain and Wonder

Chapter Nine

The Transfer II

Pain and Wonder

-oOo-

Ichijo sat against the wall in his darkened bedroom, his head on his arms. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. The rest of his face wasn't much better. The sun had set two hours ago, but he hadn't bothered to get up. He wouldn't be attending classes tonight. Kaname had confined him. The teachers wouldn't argue – they, too, understood the order of things. It was quite simple, really. They were vampires and he outranked them.

He hadn't moved from this spot at all, in fact. Not since he had staggered in last night, after …

The tears began again. He couldn't feel her. He pulled himself into a ball, arms holding his legs tightly against his chest, his head on his knees. In the two weeks he'd known her he'd _always_ been able to sense her – where she was, what she was feeling. Even when she was asleep she was still _there._ But there was _nothing _now.

He pressed his face against his knees and cried. _Is she dead?_ What should he do? _Did I kill her?_ What would he do if he had?

-oOo-

"God, you're pathetic."

Lost in his misery, he hadn't even heard the door open. Looking up at the figure backlit by the light from the hallway, he rubbed his eyes, trying to bring the world into focus. "Sei … ren?" His voice cracked.

He could feel the distaste rolling off of her in waves. "Kaname-sama wants you." Her tone was flatter than usual and her eyes were cold. He heard her add under hear breath, "God knows why."

Using the wall for balance, he pulled himself to his feet and staggered towards the door. His uniform wasn't in much better shape than the rest of him. As he followed Seiren down the hall, he realized that Ruka and Aido were pacing him, one on each side, half a step behind. It made him feel like he was a prisoner, guarded so he couldn't run away. _Maybe I am_. _Maybe I should be._

-oOo-

It was midnight, and Kaname was still furious. The only reason he hadn't shredded Ichijo yet was because Reiya had survived. He might just do it anyway. Hoping to calm himself, he dropped a trio of blood tablets into a glass of water, guzzling it down almost before they'd finished dissolving.

When Seiren knocked, announcing their return, he slammed the glass down on the desk, just shy of the force needed to break it. He truly did want to break something, but he _liked_ that glass. "Enter," he called, forcing calm over his voice.

If he were anyone else, any_thing_ else, he _might_ have felt pity for the shambling wreck that Seiren escorted into his chamber. But purebloods weren't exactly known for possessing such feelings. Besides, _Reiya_ hadn't had much control over her own actions at the end. _Ichijo_ had.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" The words were soft, but it was impossible to mistake them for anything other than what they were – a threat.

"K-kaname … I …" Ichijo's pale green eyes fixed on him.

Kaname flicked his fingers at Seiren and Ruka. They stepped away from Ichijo. Aido was already positioned a few paces behind. Without giving Ichijo a chance to register what he was doing, he backhanded him hard enough to draw blood. Ruka stepped back as Ichijo fell, so that he wouldn't touch her as he fell. None of the three showed the slightest hint of emotion on their faces. None of the three looked anywhere but directly at Ichijo.

Delicately licking Ichijo's blood from his knuckles, Kaname advanced on him. "What do you have to _say?"_

"I-I'm s-sorry …"

Quick as lightning, Kaname grabbed Ichijo by the throat and pulled him to his feet. "Sorry?" he hissed. "You're _sorry?_" Digging his nails into the sides of the boy's neck, he continued. "Tell that to Kain, who's been sitting with her for the last nine hours." A little deeper. "Tell that to Ruka and Aido, who helped him put her back together. Seven hours, it took them. _Seven._"

"She …" Ichijo whispered. "She's alive?"

Kaname continued without pausing, ignoring the question. He pulled Ichijo in closer, snarling, "Tell that to _Reiya_, who was _awake_ through all of it, with _no way_ to dull her pain!"

Disgusted at the sheer look of desolation on Ichijo's face, he threw him to the ground and passed sentence. "She'll live. Her body will be fully healed by now. Whether she survives _mentally_ is yet to be determined."

"Why …" Pursing his lips, Kaname allowed the interruption. "Why can't I feel her? She's … She's _gone._"

"You've proven unfit to hold her Bond. I've given her to someone else. You were warned that your thoughts could cause her physical harm. You were warned that she could become unstable. You were warned to keep her close. You failed her on all three counts, and she nearly died because of _your_ actions. She is no longer yours to care for."

"Who?"

"Kain." Kaname's answer was curt. He was finished answering questions. "You will remain confined until midnight tomorrow. Your punishment will ultimately be determined by her. If she recovers mentally, _she_ will choose what is to be done with you. If she does not, I will personally rip you to shreds. Slowly. Do you understand me?"

Ichijo bowed his head and whispered, "Hai, Kaname-sama."

He waved his hand at the door and watched as the three removed what was left of his vice-president from the room.

His friend. Who hadn't called him 'sama' once in all the years they'd known each other except in jest.

As the door clicked shut behind them the glass shattered, pulverized into a thousand tiny fragments.

_Damn,_ he thought, looking across the room at his desk.

_I really liked that glass._

-oOo-

Ruka knocked softly on the door of the infirmary. Hearing a muffled reply that sounded _something_ like 'come in,' she poked her head inside. "Was that a 'come in' or a 'go away'?"

"You can come in if you want," Kain answered absently.

Closing the door behind her, she turned towards his voice. She frowned when she noticed that he was sitting _on_ the bed. "What are you doing on the bed?"

"Hush and come look."

Walking closer, she got a better look at where he was sitting – or rather, a better look at who was _not_ there. "Where's Reiya?"

Kain shook his head and repeated. "Hush and come look."

She walked around the corner of the bed and saw Kain – with a lapful of _wolf._ She pointed at the wolf. "What's that, and where's Reiya?"

Kain smiled faintly as he slowly stroked the wolf's head. Ruka could tell he was exhausted. "This _is_ Reiya."

Ruka paused. _The shock must be getting to him. _"Don't be ridiculous."

"No. I'm serious." He shook his head at her expression of disbelief. "Don't you remember the old legends? The Wolfen were _shapechangers._ They could turn into _real_ wolves."

Ruka blinked. _They could … _Real_ wolves? What the hell?_

"What did Kaname-sama say?"

"About Ichijo?"

Kain nodded.

Ruka sat on the chair next to the bed. The one that Kain had probably been sitting _in_ before Reiya … She shook her head. The whole 'wolf' bit would take some getting used to. "He said that he gave her Bond to you."

Kain nodded again.

"Did you ask for it?" Ruka was curious. _She'd_ seen hints that he might have become interested in her in the few days before this all happened, but she wanted to know if _he_ had seen it in himself.

Kain shook his head. "He came in just before moonrise. We talked and …" He shrugged. "No, I didn't ask. He didn't either, but …"

Ruka smiled wryly. "Yeah, _but_ …"

Kain shuddered. "I don't know how he could have …" His voice trailed off.

"Ichijo?"

"Mmm hmm. I can _feel_ her, Ruka. I can feel everything she's feeling right now if I just reach out a little. Kaname-sama says that I'll learn to block most of it out, so I don't get caught up in it, but right now …"

Ruka laid her hand on his, where it rested on Reiya's head. "How is she? Really? Kaname-sama said she was healed, but …"

Kain looked at her and smiled again, not quite as faint as before. "She is. Look for yourself." He ran his fingers through the fur covering her back and haunches.

She was surprised. "A few _hours_ of moonlight and she healed that quickly?"

He shook his head. "No. A few minutes."

Ruka's head flipped up in shock. "You're joking," she accused, her tone flat.

"No. Absolutely serious. Kaname-sama was _here_ when it happened. He said that under the Full Moon they heal almost as well as purebloods."

Her hand flew to her mouth. "That's not _possible!_"

"Don't you remember the legends? The old stories? They all disagree about what their weaknesses are, and how they can be caught, but they _all_ agree on _one thing._" He waited for Ruka to catch up to him. "That they damn near can't be killed during the Full Moon."

He took her hand in his. She could tell that he wanted her to pay attention to this part. "Kaname-sama said that it _wasn't her choice_ to attack. That by leaving the classroom in the first place she was trying to _avoid_ attacking anyone. Ruka, _please_ don't blame her for attacking Kaname-sama. For all I know, she might not even remember that she did."

She jumped to her feet. "Don't _blame_ her? How can you _ask_ me that, Kain?" _Don't _blame_ her? Don't be ridiculous!_

"I _am_ asking you Ruka. _Please_. Listen to me."

Ruka took a deep breath. _Calm yourself, girl._ "Why?"

"Because Kaname-sama says _he_ doesn't blame her."

"Oh." She fell into the chair. "I'll … I'll try."

"Thank you."

Ruka stood and walked to the window. The moon had almost risen high enough to pass the edge of the roof.

"Ruka," Kain whispered. "Look."

Turning back, she saw the wolf's fur start to shimmer. A silver sheen seemed to cover her as her body slowly stretched back to human form. As the last direct ray of moonlight passed from the room, Reiya returned to normal. Kain's lap suddenly had a naked _human_ girl draped across it. As she started to move, Ruka noticed that her back was fully healed. _Fully_ healed. No scars. Aside from a few remaining smears of dried blood, there were no indications that there had even been wounds there at all.

-oOo-

I feel the Change slip away from me as the moonlight dims. Opening my human eyes I lift my head and look about the room. "Ruka?"

Ruka is blushing as she stands and turns away from me. Suddenly she turns back and holds out a blanket. "Here."

I look at the blanket, confused.

"_Take_ it," she says, a little impatient.

As I reach out to her, I realize why. I'm naked. As I sit up and drape the blanket around myself my mind _snaps_ back into focus. I'm sitting on a bed in the infirmary, naked, with Ruka and Kain. _Wait._ Why am I sitting _naked_ on a _bed_ with _Kain_ in the Moon dorm _infirmary?_

"What –" I cut myself off. Something's wrong. What's different? It takes a few moments to fully set in. The Bond has changed. "What happened to …?" I mutter to myself. I freeze as it hits me. I'm not Bound to Ichijo-sama anymore. But I'm still Bound. I look from Ruka to Kain and back in confusion, then my gaze locks onto Kain's and my fingers reach out to him, instinctively. "You've got my Bond." I pause, my hand wavering. "Why do you have my Bond?"

He combs his fingers through his hair and doesn't look at me. "Kaname-sama transferred your Bond to me."

I'm confused. "Why?"

"Don't you remember what happened?" Ruka asks, concerned.

"Of course I remember what happened. I attacked Kirin, and there was a fight. Then Ichijo-sama stopped me."

"'_Stopped'_ you?" Ruka sounds angry. "He almost _killed_ you."

Now I'm _really _confused. "He punished me for disobeying him."

She shakes her head. "Reiya, what is _wrong_ with you? You aren't making _sense._"

"I _disobeyed _him. He_ punished_ me. That's what the Bond is _for._"

"Stop it!" Kain snaps.

_Oh _shit. _How could I forget he was sitting _right here! I turn back to him and bow my head. "I'm sorry, Master." I can feel his anger, but it's aimless.

"Dammit, don't _call_ me that!"

He glares at me and I cringe. I don't know _anything_ about how _he'll _react.

"Dammit!" He jumps to his feet and stalks to the door. I don't look at him. I try not to move. He's furious, and I don't know what I've done to displease him. "C'mon, Ruka. Reiya, you … just stay here."

"Yes, Master," I whisper to the floor, as the door slams behind him.

-oOo-

"Kain …"

He stopped. "What, Ruka?"

She laid her hand on his arm. "You're going to Kaname-sama?"

He yanked on his hair. "Yeah."

She let her hand drop. "I'll get her something to wear while you're gone."

"Sure. Yeah, that'd be good." He started back down the hall.

"_Kain._"

"What?"

"Be careful. He wants to kill something."

Kain stopped. "Yeah." With that, he bolted.

-oOo-

"I told you to stay with her." Kaname-sama was standing at the window, watching the quiet campus below.

Kain ran his fingers through his hair as he paced. "She thinks she _deserved_ what he did to her!" He stopped and stared at Kaname-sama's back. "How can she _think_ something like that?"

He watched as Kaname-sama laid his hand on the window and sighed softly. "I had thought that might be the case." He straightened up and turned to face Kain. "Go back to her Kain." His voice was firm. "Go back to her, and don't leave her this time. Tread carefully, she doesn't know what to expect from you as a Master."

"That makes two of us," Kain muttered.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room – well, uncomfortable for _Kain_, at least. Kaname-sama caught his gaze and held it. "Don't make me regret passing her to you. I will not say it again. Go back to her, and _do not_ leave her this time."

"Hai, Kaname-sama." Kain bowed formally and left.


	10. The Transfer III Pain and Smiles

Chapter Ten

The Transfer III

Pain and Smiles

-oOo-

He's come back to the room, but he hasn't said anything to me. I can feel that he's still angry, and I still don't know what I've done to displease him. Ruka brought some of my clothes, but I don't know if he wants me dressed or not. He told me to stay here. Did he mean just in the room? Or right here in this exact position? He's just leaning against the door, not even looking at me. All I can do is wait until he speaks.

He sighs. "Reiya."

"Yes, Master?" I whisper.

He's pulling on his hair again. To keep from yelling at me? I don't know. "Don't call me that. I'm just Kain. Not 'Master,' not 'sama,' just Kain. Please? Just … Just Kain."

-oOo-

_She's still over there shaking. Dammit! She's terrified of me already._ Kain rubbed his hand over his eyes. _I'm exhausted, and I don't know what to do with her._ "Reiya, sweetheart, why don't you get dressed and we'll go somewhere where we can talk. I don't want you to be afraid of me – I'm not going to hurt you, you've had enough of that already." He looked at her, trying to meet her gaze. "I'm going to go out in the hall. Come out when you're ready, okay?"

"Hai, Kain-sa …" She swallowed. "Kain."

"Okay." He bolted out the door and pulled it shut, pressing his back against it as if he would fall over without its support. _What do I do now?_

-oOo-

I blink. I can still feel his anger, but why is he suddenly all over nervous? And why did he call me 'sweetheart?' I shake my head and reach for the clothes. Sitting here musing won't get me answers. Especially not to the big one. _Why does he think it wasn't right for Ichijo-sama to punish me?_

-oOo-

He's taken me out to the garden behind the dorm. There's no one here this time of night – everyone else is in class. We're sitting on a bit of lawn under the moonlight. Raising my face to its glow, I can feel the Change hovering in the back of my mind. But he wants to talk to me, so I stay in Human form.

I wait for him to start, and he does. "Why …" I can tell that he's forcing himself to stay calm, to not yell at me like he did earlier. He's not doing a very good job of it, though. "Why do you think he was justified in almost _killing_ you, when all you did was get in a fight? No one was even hurt, except for Kirin. And she only had some scratches and bruises. She was healed by morning! Why?"

I hold myself still, trying not to show my fear and confusion. He said he didn't want to see that. A shouting match with Ruka is one thing. One with my own Master? Another thing entirely. "It's his place to decide what is and isn't an appropriate punishment, not mine." I keep my voice low, trying to control the trembling.

"Do you mean to tell me that the whole time you've been here you've been _expecting_ him to do something like this if you did something he didn't want you to?" He sounds incredulous. _Does he know nothing of how the Bond_ works?_ Why it was created?_ I nod. "God," he moans. "How can you _think_ that?"

I shiver. _How can he know _nothing?_ Ichijo-sama didn't either. Are there really no Bound here at all?_ I close my eyes and calm my thoughts. It seems _I'll_ have to be the one to instruct _him._ The thought twists in my mind. _Oh, if Grandfather could see me now. Not only Bound, but having to teach _my own Master_ what it means to keep me. Gods, the irony. _I take a few deep breaths and begin. "The spell we call the Bond was created to control us. To tame us. Six hundred and fifty years ago we traded our freedom for safety."

"You _what?_" Shock is writ clear across his face.

I don't look at him. I pause, watching the moon. "We were dying. Hunted by humans and vampires alike we were losing the war, dying out as a people. It was an opportunity to live. We took it."

"That's _insane!_ How could you think that was an acceptable trade? You _gave_ yourselves into slavery?"

I meet his eyes. "I said much the same thing the first time my grandfather explained it to me." Apparently, distracting him has worked somehow. He's frustrated and confused, but the anger he'd been feeling earlier has lessened. More than that, he's made no moves toward me, physically or over the Bond. "He said that many of us didn't accept the trade. He was descended from those who didn't."

His focus snapped onto me at that. "Do you mean that _he_ wouldn't be subject to the Bond?"

I shake my head. "No. Not unless the original spell was cast directly on him."

"Then why are _you?_"

"My father was neverBound, like his father. My mother, however, was born to the Binding." At his curious look, I continue. "The Bond is inherited for us, tied into our genes. It wasn't at first, but over the centuries it changed. If any of the vampires in the clan that she was Bound to had touched me I would have become Bound as well."

"How did you come here, then? Shouldn't you be Bound to one of them?"

"The day I was born I was smuggled out, given to my father. I never met him. His father raised me, taught me our history. He said once …" I look down, rolling a stem of grass between my fingers. "He said that he wasn't sure if he wouldn't have accepted the offer himself, if he had been there. We never spent more than eighteen months in any one place, always hiding, always on the run. Humans. Vampires." I shudder. "More than once I was terrified that I would wake from moon-dark Bound, or not wake at all."

I look back at him. "Don't misunderstand. It isn't like that for all of the neverBound. Most packs have true homes now." I shake my head again and return to contemplating the moon. "But they wouldn't accept _us._ Or rather," I laugh harshly, "they wouldn't accept _me._ Letting a cub born to the Binding into their homes would just be begging for trouble from the clan that the cub escaped from."

He looks at me oddly. "If you weren't raised in a household with other Wolfen who were Bound, then …"

"How do I know so much about it?"

He nods.

"Grandfather made sure I learned about it. He wanted me to understand what it was I had escaped, and what to expect if I ever got caught. We …" I bite my lip and look away. "We sheltered a runaway once. She'd been traveling alone with her Master, just the two of them, and he died somehow. She didn't say how. We didn't ask." I pause, shivering as I remember the horrors of what she taught me. "She … explained … to me, how the Bond worked. What it could be made to do. What was expected of her. She was with us for two days before the Hunters caught up to her." I close my eyes as a tear runs down my cheek. "She told us to run, and walked out to them. She _knew_ what was going to happen. She _knew_ what they would do to her for running."

"Then why did she go back?"

I stare at him bleakly. "So that they would find only her. So that _I_ could escape."

He reaches out to me, and I let him. I hadn't thought that I would be able to feel his emotions so clearly. Ichijo-sama had always held his emotions close – I felt very little from him. I rest my head on his chest as he holds me close, letting him soothe away the memories.

-oOo-

Kain had just gotten comfortable when she stiffened. She threw up her head, looking about. He froze when he saw her eyes. She slid smoothly from his grasp, her eyes a hard yellow and _glowing _in the moonlight. As she turned her head from side to side, he realized that she wasn't looking with her eyes. She was _scenting_. In an instant, she found what she was searching for. She glided a few paces in front of him, between him and a small stand of trees.

He stood and started to walk towards her, but stopped in surprise as she _growled_ at him without taking her eyes off of the darkness between the trees. He looked up as he heard Kaname-sama's amused voice. "I had wondered which of you would sense me first." Kaname-sama stepped out from the cover of the trees into the moonlight. He paused in his advance and cocked an eyebrow as Reiya's growl darkened.

Kain watched in shock as she started to glide towards Kaname-sama, her fingers twitching. Then it hit him. She was going to attack again. "Reiya, stop it!" He lunged forward and grabbed onto her arm. Spinning around, she snarled at him. Without pausing to think about it – if he had, he probably wouldn't have dared – he slapped her. Hard. "Knock it off!"

She froze. Shaking, not meeting his eyes, she whispered, "tell him to leave. I can't …" Her voice grew hoarse, edging back to the growl from before. "I can't _stop_ …" Snarling, she pulled from his grasp and whirled to face the tree line once more. Panting heavily, she held herself in place. Kain breathed a sigh of relief. Kaname-sama was gone.

-oOo-

I feel his arms wrap around me as the golden haze fades from my vision. He pulls me back into a tight embrace as my breathing eases and the shaking subsides. I tilt my head backwards, resting it on his shoulder, and look up at the moon. The treacherous, traitorous moon, that has stolen my self-control once again.

"Why?" I whisper. "Why didn't you use the Bond?" My voice trembles. "I almost attacked _you._ Why didn't you use the Bond to stop me?"

"I told you. I'm not going to do that to you." He clutches me to his chest and rests his head in the crook of my neck. "I _won't_."

I twist my head back to look at him. I'm shocked. There are _tears_ running down his cheeks. "You'll have to. One of these times … If I stay here, this will happen again. You'll _have_ to."

"No."

"But –"

"_No._" His voice is firm. "There's another building on campus. We used it as a dorm when this one was being built. It isn't being used for anything now. It's only when the moon is full that you're like this, right? I'll take you there, then. There won't be anyone else around to set you off."

My breath hitches as he shifts the position of his head a little, settling further down on my shoulder, trailing his lips across to my neck. "You'll be fine then." My instincts prompt me to tilt my head away from him, to give him better access to the vein. He responds by slowly licking the offered flesh, and I shiver as a faint tremor runs through my skin. I close my eyes and relax in his arms as he teases me with his lips and his tongue. I was going to say something, but I've forgotten what.

I try to reach up with my hand, to pull him closer, but he isn't having any of that. He tightens his grip, pinning my arms at my sides, and I whimper. "Please."

"Mmm?" He suckles lightly above the vein and I quiver in need.

"Please, Kain …" I beg, too out of breath to finish the sentence.

"Please what?" He runs the tip of one fang along the length of the vein and I moan.

"Please …" I can't catch my breath. _Oh god, just do it! Stop teasing me and …_ "bite me!"

I can _hear_ his smile as he answers. "I thought you'd never ask."


	11. Interlude IV Snowballs

Chapter Eleven

Interlude IV

Snowballs

-oOo-

Time seemed almost to fly as the winter months passed. Kain kept to his promise. He never once used the bond to hurt me – even when I thought sure there was no other way to keep me from losing control. Instead, when the moon was full, he took me away from the others. There was an old building on the campus; one that he said had once been a dormitory, first for the teachers, and then for the Night class.

When we were there, when it was just the two of us, it was that much easier for me to keep my emotions in check. I hadn't realized just how much strain it had been putting on me, living with the rest of the class in the days closest to the full moon until he took me there. He kept me there with him for the entire time that the full moon lasted, the two nights and a day until I could rest again. After that first disastrous time the teachers made no disagreement with the two of us missing classes for those two nights.

When it seemed that my emotions and energy levels were about to explode he took me outside, far to the edges of campus, deep in the woods, and we played. I changed, and danced about. He threw snowballs, daring me to catch them in my jaws, laughing when the snow sprayed across my fur. One night we didn't stop until we both lay collapsed in the snow, breathless from laughing so hard.

He stayed with me when the moon was at its weakest and I slept, sitting by the side of my bed, the door locked. He was the last thing I saw before sleep overtook me with the dawn, the first thing I saw when the sun slipped below the horizon and I awoke. I felt safe, wrapped in his arms. I felt…

… _loved_.


	12. The Party I Finding Love

**A/N:** For my returning readers (thanks for coming back!) you'll notice, I'm sure, that you've read this chapter before. Thanks to my eternal infernal internal editor, I've changed the layout of the story a little, and added in an interlude before this chapter. Back up one chapter and read the interlude 'Snowballs.' Thanks! :)

* * *

Chapter Twelve

The Party I

Finding Love

-oOo-

Kain was bored. After getting in trouble last week – _again_ – Aido was on his best behavior, and the enforced inactivity was getting to Kain. Slouching down the dorm halls, he debated whether actually _doing_ his homework was worth the effort. They had a term project due Monday night, and he wasn't even halfway done. He just couldn't seem to summon up the enthusiasm to bother, though. He didn't care about Virgil, he didn't care about Homer, and he sure as _hell_ didn't care about any _other_ long-gone-to-dust human poets.

But basically what it boiled down to was this: It was _hot,_ it was _sunny,_ and he was _bored out of his mind._

_It's_ April_, for god's sake. Why the hell is it so damn hot in _April? He couldn't even drag up the energy to help Ruka plan Reiya's surprise birthday party for next weekend. Her birthday was really tomorrow, on Saturday, but everyone had agreed that it would be better to have a party _after_ finals, so Ruka had scheduled it for a week from Sunday.

Next weekend was a better time for Reiya anyway, moon-wise. She'd just come off of moon-dark yesterday, and she was always more comfortable interacting with the whole crowd during the Quarter Moon than at either of the other ends of the spectrum.

That's why he was awake now, in fact. His sleep schedule was always thrown all to hell at moon-dark, when she lay helpless, trapped in slumber. Four and a half months they'd been together, and nothing had ever happened, but he just couldn't bring himself to sleep until after she'd safely awakened.

He cradled her in his arms as she slipped away with the dawn, and held her as she awoke the sunset after. They'd never spoken about it, but he knew it made her feel more secure, knowing he was right there with her, that he wouldn't let anything happen to her when all of her defenses were down.

He hung over the rail of the grand staircase, looking down into the main reception room. Ichijo and Kirin were down there, working on their project. Plato and Aristotle, if he remembered right. At least Reiya's was halfway interesting. She'd pulled Pythagoras and Archimedes – probably owing to the fact that she was better than any of the rest of them at Mathematics. She was paired with Shiki on that one, and was somehow managing to keep his lazy ass on task.

Kain was paired with his cousin, Aido. He sighed, draping himself across the railing. The kings of procrastination were they, and he knew it.

_God, I'm bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored._ He rolled over and stared at the designs on the ceiling. _I wonder what Reiya's doing. She's awake._ He closed his eyes and felt along the Bond, opening his mind to see if he could pick up images. He could, sometimes. Flashes of what she was seeing.

_The kitchen? What's she doing in the kitchen?_ He shook his head. _Huh. Guess I'll go find out._ Shoving his hands in his pockets he wandered off towards the back of the dorm, whistling as he went to find his wayward wolf, boredom forgotten.

-oOo-

"Dammit, Kain!" I shriek. "I need that!" Not that he's listening, of course. He's gone and stolen my notebook _again_, and is making me chase him through the halls to get it back. "I can't finish my project without it!" I can hear his laughter coming from up around the corner and put on a burst of speed, hoping that _this_ time I can catch him. Did I mention that he's done this before? He's _always_ like this the first few days after moon-dark, like he's trying to make up for lost time or something.

Swinging around the corner I _thump_ into someone – "oof" – and land on my backside.

"Do I want to know what you two are up to this time?"

_Eep!_ "Umm … nothing?" I smile innocently up at Kaname-sama. Or at least I try to.

"Mmm. An interesting 'nothing' that requires a fair amount of volume before sunset."

I blush.

He shakes his head and pats me on mine as he walks past. "_Try_ to remember that some of us are still sleeping?"

"Hai, Kaname-sama."

As I scramble to my feet, I hear from behind me, "Oh, and Ichijo wants to talk to you."

My face falls. "_Again?_ How many times do I have to tell him I forgive him?"

Kaname-sama smiles gently. "Relax, Reiya. I do believe he's past that now. He has questions about your schedule for next term."

I blush harder. "Oh."

He makes little shooing motions at me. "Shoo. Go find your wayward Master and tell him to shush. At least until sunset."

"Hai, Kaname-sama."

-oOo-

"There you are!" He's leaning on the door to the back garden, grinning as if he hasn't a care in the world. "What took you so long?"

I fold my arms and mock-glare at him from several steps away. "Kaname-sama says to 'shush.'" My glare increases as I notice the _lack_ of a certain object about his person. "Where's my notebook?"

He smirks, then changes it to his best impression of an 'I'm innocent' look. "What notebook?"

I stalk towards him and growl. "And you can give up on the 'I'm innocent' look. I don't think you've ever pulled off one of those in your life."

He laughs and raises his hand above his head. "This notebook?" He dances backwards as I jump for it.

"Yes, dammit! Now gimme!" I manage to actually get the tips of my fingers on it twice before he pins me against the wall.

"How about this? I'll give it back if you'll do something for me?"

Instantly suspicious, I stare at him. "Do what?"

He drops the playful antics and replies seriously. "My name is Akatsuki."

_Huh?_ "And?"

He runs a finger across my lips. "I want you to call me Akatsuki." I blink. I haven't seen this expression on him before. Tender and … _wistful?_ "Not Kain."

"What brought this on?" I ask, confused. He rests his forehead on the fist holding my notebook above my head. The hand that had been tracing my lips trails down past my shoulder to pull me into a loose embrace.

"I've wanted it for months." He laughs shortly. "I just never could figure out how to tell you without you thinking it was a stupid _order_."

I stare at him, incredulous. "So instead you'll use my _notebook_ as a _hostage_?"

"Um, well." At least he has the courtesy to look embarrassed.

"Fine." I blush and look away, embarrassed myself. "Um, Akatsuki."

He smiles softly. "Thank you." Then he surprises me. He runs the tips of his fingers along my chin, lifting my head so that I'm facing him, and _kisses_ me. I blink in shock. He pulls back quickly, turning away to hide his blush. "Um. I'm … sorry, I shouldn't have …"

I don't let him finish. I pull him back to face me with two fistfuls of his shirt and kiss him back. He freezes and his eyes widen in surprise as I let him go. I watch him, unsure of what he'll do now, but he gets the hint. He smiles and cradles my face in his hands. "I've been wanting to do _that_, too," he says lightly.

We start back up, jointly this time, my notebook lying forgotten on the floor. Things are just starting to get interesting, due to his habit of never fastening more than two buttons on his shirt, when we're rudely interrupted by Ruka, Rima, Shiki, and Aido. In that order.

"It's about time."

"God, you two. Get a room."

"Are you coming to class or what?"

_click_

Akatsuki bolts off after his cousin, hollering something about a camera as Ruka busts out laughing. _Camera? Oh god …_

I snatch up my notebook and flee the scene, running back to my room to fetch my uniform coat and straighten out my blouse.

Then I spend most of the night ducking my head and blushing as the rest of the class takes turns whispering in each others' ears and sending me knowing looks.

-oOo-

When classes are over I change out of my uniform into a tank top and short lightweight skirt. Even at four in the morning it's unseasonably hot, and _far_ too muggy to stay in the long-sleeved uniform blouse. Peeking around corners to avoid the others I somehow manage to successfully escape to the back garden without running into anyone. I look up at the stars, trying to catch my breath.

I'm not surprised when arms reach out from the darkness behind me and pull me into a tight embrace. This small patch of lawn beyond the trees is our favorite place. I knew he would come here, just as he knew the same about me. Resting the back of my head on his shoulder, I breathe deep and slow, enjoying the comfort of his arms and chest, and the faint breeze that has begun to blow.

I tilt my head to the side as he nuzzles my neck. I briefly contemplate smacking him for it – I had _intended_ to talk to him about what had happened earlier. But we both enjoy the closeness that his feeding brings, so instead I lean back into him and raise myself up on the balls of my feet. I twine my fingers through his hair and tug his head closer, resting his mouth against the point where my shoulder meets my neck. Talking can wait.

I can feel his building arousal against the small of my back. Curious as to how he'll react, I press my hips into that as well.

He groans and wraps one arm around my waist, pulling me closer still as he grinds his hips against mine. His other hand strays up under my tank top and brushes the underside of my breast.

He stops. Everything. "You're not wearing a bra," he whispers into my ear, amused.

"Mmm, don't stop," I murmur as I reach around behind him with my free hand, grasping his ass and pulling him forward.

He nibbles on my ear. "First tell me why you're not wearing a bra."

"You're complaining?" I grip his hair tighter, forcing his mouth against my neck.

"No." He smiles and licks my vein. "I just want to know why."

"Because I don't _own_ any," I reply, exasperated. "Now shut up and – eep!"

Having gotten his answer, he begins again, running his hand slowly up along the curve of my breast, then lightly flicking the nipple with his nails. I shiver at the new sensations running through me, pooling at the base of my stomach. I've never felt like this before. But then, I've never _done_ this before, so it makes sense. Clearly, however, _he_ has. Not that I mind in the slightest. This way at least _one_ of us knows what he's doing.

The hand that was at my waist, holding me in place, smoothly shifts lower, pressing in as he fingers my crotch through my skirt. I shudder and moan as the pleasurable sensations increase exponentially. His mouth hasn't been still, either – licking, teasing, and nibbling its way along my neck and shoulder. I hold tightly to his shoulders, digging in my nails as I try to stay upright. He grunts at the pain and bites my shoulder. "Let go."

I drop my hands to my sides as my knees start to twitch. I can't seem to catch my breath, either. _All_ of my weight is on him, now. If I tried to stand, I think I'd fall. I squeak as with one last nip on my earlobe he drops to the ground, taking me with him. He pulls me into his lap, still facing away from him. "Mmm," he murmurs in my ear. "How's this?" My only reply is a series of louder moans as he slips his hand up my skirt and continues teasing and playing with my breasts. Tracing little circles across the soaked crotch of my panties, he mutters, "aw, and here I was hoping you'd left _these_ off as well."

I groan and gasp for air as I try to force out a response. "Like … hell … skirt … this short …"

He laughs. It doesn't seem fair that _he_ can talk normally through this. Pressing his wrist against my thigh to hold me in place, he begins grinding his hips against mine again, although he doesn't let up on my crotch. I cry out. Somehow he's managed to slip his fingers inside my panties and is moving them deeper.

I arch my back as my whole body starts to spasm. Just as I think I'll die if he takes me any higher he sinks his fangs into my neck, throwing me over the edge into orgasm. I can distantly feel his shudder and the sudden wetness against my back that signals his own release, expertly timed to match mine. As I slide down from the high one thought coalesces in my mind. _Oh, yes. He's _definitely_ done this before._

"Happy Birthday, love."

* * *

**A/N:** If you don't know who Virgil, Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, and Archimedes are, go Wiki them. I don't feel like explaining here.

* * *


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